The Academy Is… – Lost In Pacific Time EP
The Academy Is… has always been a band which pumped out quality music, despite having grown and matured at an alarming pace. From Almost Here to Fast Times At Barrington High, all three albums showed great progression and maturation as a band, yet the individual efforts of each album can not be ignored. I’ve enjoyed all three albums many times over, and it’s obvious that The Academy Is… have always strived to improve with each and every release. It’s been a little over a year since their last release, and I was excited to hear what changes they made for Lost In Pacific Time. Upon first listen, it resembles the musical stylings from Fast Times At Barrington High. The EP consists of five alternative pop rock tracks that are serious, melodic and soulful. The nostalgic tendencies of their music make for a creative and modern emo style so to speak. While a far cry from anything remotely emo in the mainstream sense, it is their emotional nature that is admired and adored by fans.
What keeps TAI from falling into a bland and meaningless downbeat state is their knack for heavy and moving melodies. The instrumentals don’t shy away from grungy guitar work, hard hitting drums or tranquil piano melodies. Instead they play a vibrant, albeit, low key beat that fits into the alternative-emo scheme, yet is still aggressive enough for the ever changing rock scene. Much like their third studio album, I can hear the influences of 90’s UK pop bands such as The Cure. Their rock lounge appropriate style, offers a modern take of pop rock with old school influences. Such is the case for their first single off the EP, I’m Yours Tonight. To get the ball rolling, the track starts off with a guitar melody closely resembling The Cure. More so the theme of the track involves romance and love, and generally leans towards the pop aspect of the genre. That said it is still heavy enough to satisfy any rock cravings with its aggressive melodic backbone. William Beckett has always been one of the premier front mans in my mind, putting on calm and captivating performances consistently. His vocal talents are also something to be admired, as he portrays exactly the mood of music that he’s playing. His semi-aggressive and soulful voice is flawlessly passionate from start to finish.
The EP follows the same general formula throughout, but the songs are all individually good. Days Like Masquerades had a very surreal and hopeful theme. With the addition of cleverly placed choir-type backing vocals, the final product was breathtaking to say the least. But skipping to track three, Sputter, this song is very special to me. The track features the guest vocals of one of my idols, Andrew McMahon. Listening to the track I can hear a Jack’s Mannequin-esque vibe when considering the vocal melody and the overall darkness of the song. Sort of a song about struggle, there was still optimistic messages conveyed through the chorus. While I don’t think the song sounds technically as good as some of the others, it was still charming and very expressive. Not to mention I could hardly recognize Andrew McMahon’s role but still a very nice listen.
New York is my favourite track from this EP, and gets me really excited to hear more from TAI. The tragic verse leading into the emotional and somewhat nostalgic chorus gets me every time. Not to mention the title of EP originates from the lyrics in this song. I thought the guitar melody was very retro and euphoric, perfectly complimenting the rest of the track. The songs on this EP always seem to promote a sense of urgency, and an overall climatic approach to music. Such is the case with this track; it feels almost like a musical score for a major motion picture.
The Academy Is… strays away from the genre that it’s classified in, but still remains at the top. There style is something that has yet to be truly replicated, but it still ready for mainstream success. It is their originality and unique talents that have made them so successful. Besides being on a premier label (FBR), they are also well respected by their peers. I’m glad they released Lost In Pacific Time, even though their style is very much similar to Fast Times At Barrington High. It’s an EP that proves their relevancy and further solidifies the quality of their music.
Check out their Myspace for more info.
The Academy Is – I’m Yours Tonight
Tags: EP
